In the kitchen: Soul Flavors in Jersey City warm, welcoming like dinner at a friend's

The art, awards and candles that decorate the cantaloupe-colored walls and wooden shelves in Soul Flavors restaurant make it feel like dinner at a friend’s a friend who is an award-winning chef and impeccable decorator.

The owner and head chef at the cozy Grove Street restaurant, Wayne B. Lyons, 52, of the Food Network’s “Chopped” fame, could easily be that friend and he’s in the kitchen cooking every night the eatery is open.

Background: Lyons grew up in Queens, NY and was raised by a mother who he calls wonderful, but not a good cook. So, when he was about 8-years-old, he began experimenting with food.

Lyons studied cook books and would try to replicate meals that he ate. His first dish was crepe suzettes for his third grade class’ international food fair.

Cooking remained a hobby until the then-architect decided to make a career change. He’d won a battle with drugs and was rebuilding his life.

Lyons got in touch with a friend who had always loved his cooking and with the friend’s help, started as a sous chef at a NY Marriott. By the time he left, he had worked his way up to executive chef.

Lyons went on to work at several other restaurants and then started Melange Caterers.

One of Lyons’ more notable recent accomplishments is winning season seven of Food Network show, “Chopped.”

Environment: Warm, welcoming, family-oriented those words best describe the chef and the atmosphere at Soul Flavors, a restaurant that much like its title, and it’s owner, is soul food with a twist.

Lyons wanted to open a restaurant where customers would be able to bring their children and could eat delicious, unpretentious but also untraditional soul food.

“It’s family-oriented. It’s not uptight. People can come in shorts and sandals,” said Lyons.

Clientele: After winning “Chopped,” Lyons’ outreach grew considerably. The restaurant has seen diners from Japan and Australia who connected with Lyons on Facebook in addition to his Jersey City area fans.

Philosophy: Lyons creates each of the dishes on the menu and works with a small team of people to execute them. All of the sauces and main dishes at the restaurant are made by Lyons or his partner, Shawn Santana.

Food: “It’s food that warms the soul. It’s not fancy,” said Lyons. One of his favorite dishes is vegetable gumbo topped with puff pastry. He also serves a grilled, smoked pork rib with scotch-spiked barbecue sauce that he considers a favorite.

Biggest Kitchen Nightmare: Lyons once catered an event with a team of cooks he was supervising. He said one of those cooks put a sheet of bacon into the oven without a rack and the bacon grease dripped down into the oven and started a fire.

There was no fire suppression equipment in the kitchen, so the fire department had to be called and the event was called off.

“No, we did not get paid for that event,” said Lyons, laughing.

Tips for Cooks: “Cook books are a great vehicle. Find a good, basic cookbook. I like Betty Crocker,” said Lyons. “I was a voracious reader. I was still using it when I was catering,” said Lyons.